


Left With Nothing But Ruined Pride

by codenametargeter



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Congratulations to Hux for unlocking backstory!, I'm joining the Life Debt brigade, It's only Kylux in passing whoops, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-07-23 12:22:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7463088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/codenametargeter/pseuds/codenametargeter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snoke summons Hux and Kylo Ren to him in the wake of Starkiller Base. Neither of them are feeling too great about this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Left With Nothing But Ruined Pride

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by revelations in Aftermath: Life Debt by the awesome Chuck Wendig. Yes, I'm still stealing titles from Hamilton. Thanks for helping a girl out, LMM!

It’s as if both men think they are the only person in the room. The ship compartment isn't terribly large but both General Hux and Kylo Ren manage to sit as far away from each other as humanly possible, each taking a corner. Or rather, Hux sits and Ren paces back and forth.  
  
"Will you _sit down_ and cease that irritating stomping?" Hux demands, eyebrow raised.  
  
Ren whirls around. "It's easy for you to be calm! My master is furious that that scavenger girl escaped."  
  
"Defeated you, you mean."  
  
"Escaped!"  
  
"The Supreme Leader is not pleased with either of us," Hux corrects him. "You may have noticed that Starkiller Base is gone."  
  
"Only because you won't shut up about it!"  
  
"I feel I'm entitled to mourn my life's work especially within the hearing of the one responsible for its destruction."  
  
The next second, Hux finds himself dragged to his feet by an unseen hand before that one is replaced by a very much visible black gloved hand. "Your men should be better trained."  
  
"Release me," he gasps out. "Or give me an excuse to shoot you."  
  
Ren sneers. "You couldn't hurt me if you tried, Hux." Nonetheless, he lets go and takes a step back.  
  
He blinks. "Honestly, Ren, you take all of the fun out of mocking your inadequacies when you present the opportunity to do so on a silver platter." The lightsaber flies into Ren's hand. "Do not destroy the ship wall. Hasten your own death if you must but I won't have you hastening mine."  
  
Frustrated, Ren settles for punching the bulkhead instead. “None of this was supposed to happen. If that _girl_ had just given up that lightsaber that belongs to me—“  
  
Bored, Hux inspects the stitching on his gloves. "Stop acting like such a spoiled brat.”  
  
"Me?" Ren's scarred face twists in disbelief. "That's rich coming from the golden child of the First Order!"  
  
Hux's face goes scarily blank almost instantly, a calm coming over him. "The golden child..." he says softly with a little laugh. "Oh Ren... you couldn't be further from the truth."  
  
He raises an eyebrow. "Really? I've had you figured out since we met."  
  
The general laughs again. "Just because we've slept together a few times doesn't mean you know me. You've never even seen more than my recent service record."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Because I sealed all of my records from before ten years ago," he says matter-of-factly. "The privileges of command, of course. But please, Master Ren; be my guest and tell me everything you think you know." Silence hangs between them for a long minute as the Force user looks at him suspiciously. Hux returns the look with mild condescension. “Well?”  
  
“Fine,” Ren says through gritted teeth. “You’re from a good Imperial family with parents who gave you everything until the Empire fell and you left with the rest of the First Order and then your father handed you your command on a silver platter. And now you’re a General.”  
  
Hux doesn’t respond for a minute before raising an eyebrow again. “Is that it?” The younger man gapes at him soundlessly. “Well. You were correct on precisely two counts: we left with the rest of the First Order and I currently hold the rank of General. As for the rest…” He rises to his feet and turns away, hands behind his back. “I earned my rank and my command. My father certainly wasn’t going to willingly offer something like that to his bastard son regardless of whether I was the only one he had.” There is no need to turn to feel Ren’s shock. “No silver platters involved.” Hux spins around again, expression intense. “So let me assure you, Ren, that I have no qualms about doing whatever is necessary to keep both my life and my power.”  
  
The ship shudders as it landed, both men swaying before it steadies again. “Am I supposed to thank you for the warning?” Ren asks, voice slipping into that lower register as it does on occasion.  
  
“No,” Hux responds coolly, striding past him and down the boarding ramp. “Consider it a professional courtesy. I will do what it takes to survive and I won’t be as easy to kill as _your_ father.”  
  
Ren hits the bulkhead one last time before following him down the boarding ramp; following him to Snoke. The Supreme Leader will do with them what he will.


End file.
